Late Addition Apple ??

[kirk]

Really a plea for advice.
Read Bob Smiths book, then seem to have lost Bob Smiths book, all the others are in a row on the book shelves except that one.

Intend to have a go at Apple as follows:
1 litre grape juice,
Nutrient,
Citric acid,
Sugar to 1.100 (nice round number)
Yeast (Gervin Variental D)

Ferment down to around 1.010
Add:
6lb apples,
1 nectarine,
1 pear,
1/2 mango.

Fruit will be beaten to a pulp then added.

I think that that is the approach, any opinions on the ingredients?
Tannin at the initial ferment ?
Throw in a banana?
Is 1 nectarine and pear enough?
Mango is going in because I happen to have one around.

Making a gallon.

If anyone has an idea where I have put the book I would also be grateful.

[Delmonteman]

Well, take these comments as you find them Kirk but here's a few thoughts... I don't have the book and don't know which one you mean...

You'll need pectolase if you want clear wine and you are not treating the apples any other way...
What apples are you using? I think with such a high content of apples you'll need a good variety or the right 'types' of apples
Imo, the pear will add zilch and I'm not sure about the nectarine either... Pears especially have a very mild flavour
I might try figure out a way of just pressing the apples and using the juice (use freeze thaw to get the juice out)
I don't know how much sugar/ juice you'll get out of the apples but sugar to 1.100 in the 1l starter isn't going to translate to 1.100 in the started wine... You would need apples yielding 1.100 for that and I imagine that's never gonna happen...

For a late apple addition cider I am considering fermenting 4l supermarket apple juice (c1.050 ish) then adding a few chopped apples to the ferment very late on before it finishes off. Then priming in bottles as normal. Trying to get that real 'appleyness' to come through in the end result. You could try something similar on the wine side with 2 or 3l supermarket apple juice and a few apples in very late before racking and maturing...?

[kirk]

The pear and nectarine were simply to add something other then apple - if that makes sense.
I didn't want to try a straight standard apple wine, so thought that the addition of a small amount of other items to add a little something.

Actually bought 2 of each so simple enough to lob 2 pears and 2 nectarines in. Didn't want any more as what they add I did not want to be that noticable, more a slight hint. Didn't want a mixed fruit wine.

Forgot the pectalose, have a pot of it floating round.

Agree that the apples will upset the gravity calculations, not much I can do about it and I have to start at something, as said 1.100 is a nice round number. Precise figures this is not going to be.

The 6lb of apples came from a recipe that said 6lb = medium body, 12lb = heavy body. Again just picked something in the middle ground, Jack Keller recipe. Little idea what types I have, the tree I have half from I don't know the type and the others I picked along the road off of 3 different bushes (cheap).

[kirk]

Update to this:
Did as intended with an initial mix of grape juice, water, etc.
Fermented to 1.015 (impatient)
Pulped the remaining items - did eventually throw in 2 peaches and 2 pears withe the apples (nearer 4 1/2 lbs) and the mango and pectalose.
Fermented in bucket for 3 or 4 days then sieved and put in a DJ.
To say it was murky is an understatement.
Let fermentation complete and racked off to another DJ - left behind good amount of sediment but still murky.
Eventually (2-3 weeks) added a 2 part fining (Wilkinsons) - that stuff is scary in how it operates, sediment dropped out when the second part went in. Another rack after 3 days then a filter.
Clear as a bell, beautiful colour, great smell and tastes pretty good as well.
Leaving in a DJ for 6-8 months before bottling.

Have 4 lbs of gooseberry's, thinking of devising a similar thing with them.

Was initially unsure but will admit: Mr Smith you have something with this approach.

[Gardener Tom]

Looking good! I myself have just got that book and have been looking forward to trying some of the recipes. I like the look of the Sauternes and some of the reds. The 4lb of gooseberry's should be useful as they are included in allot of the white recipes.
let us know how this turns out.

cheers

[kirk]

When I first bought the book I felt a little disappointed, I tend to go for the fruit wines and everything described a equivalent to a "standard" wine type. Just a few "fruit" wines mentioned at the rear.

Eventually decided on apple (had quite a few free) and had to make up my mind if I stuck to apple only or added other things as a background suppliment, hence the pears, peaches and mango.

For a gooseberry I will probably add 1 pear, 1 peach and 3 or 4 kiwi as well as the gooseberry's, the base will have grape juice in as well. All a fair bit of trial and and hopefully no error. Will also have to keep a record of what went into whatever I try.

Main problem is as the fruit is added towards the end determining the alcohol is a bit open to debate.

Next half dozen recipes are going to be inteeresting.